A new stand-up roller coaster opens this week at SeaWorld Orlando.
Pipeline: The Surf Coaster has its grand opening May 27 at the theme park located at 7007 Sea World Dr. in Orlando, the park said in a news release. SeaWorld will celebrate the ride's opening with a beach-themed ribbon-cutting that morning.
The park's annual pass holders were able to ride Pipeline: The Surf Coaster before its official opening and provided "fantastic" feedback, SeaWorld Orlando president Jon Peterson said.
"Pipeline is a one-of-a-kind thrill ride that caters to all levels of excitement and complements our existing exhilarating ride portfolio perfectly," Peterson said. "With its unique design and evocative sensations, Pipeline stands apart from other coasters. SeaWorld now boasts the most coasters in a single theme park in Orlando, and we can't wait to introduce the rest of our guests to this highly anticipated coaster."
The ride features a surfboard vehicle on a track that mimics the rise-and-fall sensation of riding a wave. There are five "airtime" movements, where riders experience a weightless feeling, including one that gives riders the feeling that they are moving through a wave's curl, the park said.
Pipeline is 2,950 feet long, 110 feet tall at its highest and has a maximum speed of 60 mph. It is toward the front of the park between Bayside Stadium and the Flamecraft Bar. The ride can hold 24 guests at a time, and riders must be a minimum of 54 inches tall and a maximum of 78 inches tall.
Pipeline is designed for entertainment and education, the park said: The Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida is the ride's official partner, providing educational information to riders about Florida's water and wildlife.
"We are proud to partner with SeaWorld in our shared conservation mission to help raise awareness of the importance of protecting the Florida coral reef system which is the only coral reef system in the continental United States," Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida president and chief executive Andrew Walker said.
Kristina Webb is a freelance reporter covering business, travel, tourism, restaurants and more in the Sunshine State. Send news tips and corrections to kwebbcreative@ gmail.com. Visit her blog at WellingtonMom.com for more of her original reporting.
Comments / 0